Gannett Internship
Product Design Internship (Summer 2023)
Worked under Gannett's digital marketing brand LocaliQ on the Graders design project.
During the Summer of 2023, I joined Gannett as a product design intern. I was part of the design team at LocaliQ, Gannett's digital marketing brand. During my 10-week internship, I spent the majority of my time working on the Graders Rebranding project. In addition, I participated in launching an unmoderated research and facilitating a team retrospective session.
Internship Highlights
Design Collaboration
Research Synthesis
Workshop Setup
GRADERS PROJECT
Project Overview
Website Grader Current Look
Our team works on rebranding the company’s two website graders for Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and our Free Keyword Tool.
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The website graders help evaluate users’ site performance, social media presence, and the effectiveness of digital advertising.
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The free keyword tool helps users discover new keywords and performance data to use for their site content.
GRADERS PROJECT
Our goal is to make the graders design align with the aesthetics of the company's marketing brand LocaliQ.
GRADERS PROJECT
My Role in the Graders Project
I worked as a Project Contributor.
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Duration: 10 weeks
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Team: 1 Product Design Intern(me), 1 Senior Product Designer(Daniel Birdsell), Engineer + PM
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Tools: Figma
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Deliverables: Graders Component Sets, Full Page Designs on Desktop and Mobile
Challenge
Enhance the website grader’s aesthetics to align with the LocaliQ brand identity while ensuring a smooth transition for our engineers.
Outcome
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Updated visual design
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Componentized design assets
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Enhanced user interface
GRADERS PROJECT
Major Improvements
1. Visual Refresh
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Replaced color palettes, typography, and visual elements using LocaliQ’s current design system
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Improved website layout using consistent spacing between sections
As a project contributor…
My job was to follow the design guidelines our senior designer set and make all grader pages align with those aesthetics.
Google Ads Full Page Design Example
2. Grader Componentization
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Added new grader components to our current design system so that they can be pulled out easily in the future
As a project contributor…
My job was to examine whether there were repetitive designs that could be componentized and add new components after feedback and approval from our senior designer.
Google Ads Full Page Design Example
GRADERS PROJECT
Components Work
I started by creating mobile version variants of our existing component sets with our senior designer’s guidance.
Metric Result Bar
Metric Summary Table
Recommendations Card
While I became more familiar with the project, I started to ideate several versions of designs for feedback.
After getting more ownership of the project, I initiated building full component sets for review.
Metric Result Bar
Metric Summary Table
GRADERS PROJECT
Final Full-Page Designs
Before my internship ended, we finished the full-page designs of the two website graders and the free keyword tool.
Rebrand Google Ads Grader
Rebrand Facebook Ads Grader
Rebrand Free Keyword Tool
GRADERS PROJECT
Takeaways
1. Adaptability
Be open to adapting designs based on feedback and changing project requirements. Flexibility is essential in working collaboratively.
2. Attention to detail
Stay detail-oriented while creating designs and leverage auto-layout in Figma to set standards for spacings to ensure everything looks clean and consistent.
3. Create well-documented design assets
Designers can minimize disruption to the engineers by creating well-documented design assets. Making them straightforward can help engineers efficiently implement designs.
PAID DIGITAL ADVERTISING RESEARCH
Research Overview
To understand our users, we conducted unmoderated research to discover SMB's understanding and use of paid digital advertising including Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
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Duration: 2 weeks
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Team: 1 Product Design Intern(me), 1 Senior Product Designer(Quintin Steele)
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Platform: UserTesting.com
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Participants: 20 SMB owners
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Goal: To understand the experience of SMB owners using Google Ads and/or Facebook Ads
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Questions: 15 questions with a combination of multiple choice, verbal, and written answers
Research Plan
PAID DIGITAL ADVERTISING RESEARCH
Research Synthesis
Screenshots from UT metrics
Key Takeaways
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The majority of participants spend under $1000 on Google Ads and/or Facebook Ads.
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The majority of participants think Google or Facebook Ads are the most effective way to advertise because they can reach the largest audience on those platforms.
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“I learned that Google and FB ads are the most successful in getting new customers and new leads.”
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Many participants find it challenging to figure out the amount of money they put into ads and the ideal result they can get.
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“so many metrics and controls that I had difficulty not spending money on things that didn’t work and what things could I change to see the difference. I felt lost.”
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The majority of participants think paid advertising plays a crucial role in helping them grow their businesses and bring in new customers. They are expecting to spend more if they want to scale up their business.
SUMMARY
What I am grateful for
I appreciate the support from my team!
1. Mentorship
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A team where everyone is supportive
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A friendly and collaborative working environment
2. Learning and Skill Development
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Work on a real-world design project while enhancing my Figma skills
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Conduct a research study from planning to analyzing
3. Feedback and Growth
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Tackle new challenges
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Receive constructive feedback from experienced designers